Stockport - Cheshire - England

Wow….having played this in October I’m seriously impressed. The greens are possibly some of the best I have played on across the UK this year including some ‘top rated’ courses in the summer….true, great pace, an overall pleasure to play on. I wasn’t alone in this assessment, and I am definitely coming back next summer, if not before!

Green fees are more expensive than many courses in the area, but it’s easy to see why. This place is a real treat, like going to a great restaurant, you get what you pay for…a fantastic experience and great memories that will doubtless call you back. I was lucky to play as part of a society, and asking around there are also some Opens that are very well priced if you’re on a tighter budget.

The course itself was very well presented. From the sizeable and well maintained tees, down the lush fairways that wouldn’t look out of place on TV, to the creatively sculpted surrounds that add an extra layer of challenge and class with sneaky run offs. There is great definition across the course and what I envisaged was a classic parkland course also features some wonderful heathland touches with long hay like rough adding colour, complexity and direction to navigating around. This is a well established course with tall trees giving definition like you would find on many of the big name courses down south. What I really enjoyed is the layout of the course as every hole presents a different challenge and keeps you engaged; there are changes in elevation, doglegs left and right, short & long holes and so on….you genuinely are very well tested but it seems that every hole gives you a fair chance, though a good score needs to be well earned and the large greens are a great challenge featuring some subtle borrows, and it pays to know which side of the pin to aim for.

The clubhouse is an excellent example of what a golf club should be. It has retained a feel of yesteryear like so many great clubhouses around the country, and we were served fantastic tasting fresh made food with incredible service. This is quite easily the best food I have had at a golf club and we were seriously impressed by the excellent & friendly service. There is a really nice atmosphere to the place and we found the members and staff very welcoming.

For me this is the best parkland type course in the North West and I’ve played probably all that would challenge it.

Stockport is a lovely place to play a game of golf, with an imaginative routing over undulating ground surrounded by, but never choked by, majestic Scots Pines. As you expect from one of the more well-heeled clubs in the area, the presentation of the course is generally excellent and a feeling of quality pervades every pore.

Having said that, picking stand-out holes or moments of high drama are not easy at Stockport - it's not that kind of place. It is a course of consistently interesting and strategic golf in a picturesque setting without ever reaching real highs (or troughs).

I can only identify a couple of faults with an otherwise excellent experience. Firstly, the yellow tees played by visitors are in nearly all cases placed many yards forwards, shortening an already modest length to well under 6000 yards. I'm not a particularly big hitter but even I am left with a feeling of frustration looking enviously at the white and even blue tees lying forbidden behind me.

The bigger issue at Stockport is its softness in periods of wet weather. This is entirely a function of the land it is laid out on and no reflection on the club or its staff. The fact remains however, that the course is a very wet one in winter and even in summer the fairways can get squelchy after rain and the greens pitted with footprints.

If the club could resolve this issue they would have a very fine course indeed.

Great course design befits a parcel of land that lends itself beautifully to a golf course. Mature trees line each fairway, the shorter the hole, the tighter the trees. There is a little elevation gain, but it is a gentle walk around.

Like most of Colt's courses, the bunkering is terrific, challenging the eye and the technique.

We found the course in great condition, a halfway house open for a libation and the clubhouse well organised, in these challenging times. A gripe for me was the area of rough on 18, should one drive past the end of the fairway and into the small valley, but that is a trifling complaint and wont worry anyone who can carry a drive 250 yards.

Stockport is well worth a return visit, it isn't the cheapest course in the area, but it is well worth playing.

Tidy course. Tougher than it looks, run offs make for challenging approaches. Short par 4 7th my Favourite hole.

Stockport Golf Club has long been regarded as one of the premier league clubs in Cheshire. Whilst centrally located to suburbia it manages to retain a unique feel being well shielded with established woodland, and turning into the drive has a special feel that you are leaving your everyday troubles behind. Being a true members club, it has been a pleasure to have had the opportunity to play here several times over the years. There are 2 standout areas worth mentioning in this review, the first being the course, and the second being the clubhouse.

The course is typically in excellent condition, and provides a very fair and enjoyable test in beautiful surrounds. What I love about Stockport is that it is not needlessly hard....there is a strong tactical demand and a requirement for good ball striking for players to score well, but it is accessible as a fun day for everyone and will not leave you frustrated as a links may do. The fairways are generous in most parts and typically in very good condition. The greens are expansive with subtle borrows and it is quite normal to be challenged with making a good 2 putt from distance to save par, but they are true and fair and you only blame yourself for being on the wrong side. In the main the course has very few ‘weak’ holes, in fact most could be described as excellent in their design. The stand out holes for me are the 1st, 7th, 8th, 14th, 17th which would not look out of place and probably add value on any top course in the region. My only gripe is the bunkers, although I know they are currently renovating these and the ones I have seen they have done are excellent and once complete there will be no complaints on this course at all.

The second part of the review focussed on the off course experience, and it is here that Stockport again shows why it is a level above. The customer service is outstanding, and I am always made to feel very welcome by all the staff and members. Food quality is very good, and the bar scene is excellent with plenty of good banter. The Steward is long serving and an excellent asset to the club. I have spoken to many friends who have all had similar things to say about their experience.

All in all I have no option but to rank this as an excellent course, typically in excellent condition with good presentation and well worth making the effort to play. I also believe that membership would be a great investment given the good spirit I have seen being shared by members...if only I lived closer!

Lovely parkland track well worth a visit with some great holes and superb condition usually

At Stockport Golf Club you will find a moderately undulating mature parkland course that will ask tough questions of every part of your game.

The first five holes are a real test; the 463-yard par four opener and the stroke-index one fourth in particular. The middle section of the layout provides the best opportunity to improve your scorecard with three par fives (holes 6, 9 and 12) in the space of just six holes. However, in this mix you also have the treacherous par-three eighth and the demanding tenth.

The eighth hole is worthy of special mention. Played slightly downhill I wouldn’t normally be a fan of a par-three that is closely bordered by out-of-bounds at both sides and behind the green but it actually works really well here. However, it is the sloping green that falls from front-to-back and left-to-right, in an almost reverse-redan fashion, that makes it so good. Despite maxing out at 201 yards it is effectively a par 3 ½ hole!

The real strength of Stockport lies in the options it presents from the tee; on a number of occasions you can chose to play safe to a wider part of the fairway or risk a longer club but risk flirting with bunkers or trees. The greens are also really well protected by bunkers and with glassy greens all departments of your game need to be in good working order to score well at this delightful Cheshire course.

Ed is the founder of Golf Empire – click the link to read his full review.